Tosca
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Photo by Robert Millard
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By Michael Van Duzer
Puccini’s Tosca remains a perennial audience pleaser despite the fact that many critics remain immune to the opera’s charms (Shaw called it a “shabby little shocker”). But audiences adore its pungent blend of romance and melodrama set to one of Puccini’s most flavorful scores.
And there is, of course, the schadenfreude factor. Only Shakespeare’s Macbeth boasts more stories of theatrical disaster than Tosca. It is, admittedly, difficult to completely banish apocryphal tales of ill-rehearsed firing squads and bouncing sopranos from your mind as you enter the theatre. But popularity trumps an unlucky reputation, and Tosca is never far from any opera house’s repertoire, which is certainly why L A Opera chose to revive their production as the penultimate entry in their 2007-2008 Season.
This Tosca's disaster quotient was quite manageable. Cavaradossi, played by veteran tenor Neil Schicoff, was indisposed but singing. The production itself is 20 years old and remains sturdy and traditional if very, very gloomy.
The big news is the role debut of Adrianne Pieczonka as Tosca, and she is completely up to the challenge. Pieczonka brings a softer quality to the role than usual, but she has no trouble fully expressing Tosca’s mercurial moods and steely determination. She sings with tremendous style and elegance, easily conquering the rangy vocal demands of the role.
Despite a certain rawness of tone and some obvious physical discomfort, Schicoff never holds back. His is an old-school, Italianate interpretation of the role filled with passionate ardor and reckless abandon. Juan Pons proved a formidable Scarpia who barely bothered to hide his baser desires. What Schicoff and Pons may have sacrificed in refinement, they more than make up for in dramatic excitement.
Director Ian Judge keeps up with Puccini’s breakneck pace, and, aside from a clumsily staged death scene for Scarpia, uses intelligent blocking to clarify the action of the plot. In the pit, Sir Richard Armstrong does a similar service by conducting a brisk and textured performance of the score. During the latter part of the run, a new tenor and soprano will take over the roles of Tosca and Cavaradossi. Either cast should deliver a satisfying realization of the opera.
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion May 17 – June 21, 2008
213 972-8001 www.laopera.com
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